Johan Bjornsson Printz

Johan Bjornsson Printz (20 July 1592-3 May 1663) was Governor of New Sweden from February 1643 to October 1653, succeeding Peter Hollander Ridder and preceding Johan Papegoja.

Biography
Johan Bjornsson Printz was born in Bottnaryd, Smaland, Sweden in 1592, and he was pressed into military service in 1620 during the Thirty Years' War, eventually deciding to pursue a military career. He rose to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in 1625, but he was dismissed by King Gustavus Adolphus for surrendering the Saxon town of Chemnitz. In 1642, he returned to royal favor and was appointed Governor of New Sweden in North America, and he built Fort Nya Elfsborg (near present-day Salem, New Jersey) and Fort Nya Gothenburg (present-day Tinicum Township, Pennsylvania), and he built his own manor house on Tinicum Island. He established harmony with the local Native Americans, and he oversaw the immigration of 300 Swedish settlers. However, Printz became rivals with the Dutch West India Company due to the Swedes' shortage of supplies and the Dutch monopoly on the beaver fur trade, and his autocratic style led to the settlers successfully petitioning to have him replaced in 1653. In 1654, he returned to Sweden, and he became Governor of Jonkoping in 1658 and died in 1663.